1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in assemblies for use with refrigerators and refrigerator systems utilizing such assemblies to enable dispensing of cold water or ice made from purified water introduced into a unit in the refrigerator, and more particularly, to refrigerators of this type which operate in conjunction with assemblies capable of dispensing purified water provided for the intake to the unit in the refrigerator to thereby enable dispensing cold water or ice made from purified water.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Refrigerators having units capable of dispensing cold water or ice have been commercially available. Typically, the refrigerators include units which are operatively connected to the freezer compartment and are designed to receive water from a conventional source, such as conventional tap water. This tap water is used, in turn, to make up the cold water for dispensing from a cold water outlet on the refrigerator, or otherwise, to make ice for dispensing if ice cubes, or chipped ice, from another dispenser on the refrigerator.
In addition, there have been several proposals to provide refrigerators having dispensers which are capable of dispensing liquids other than just tap water, as for example, orange juice, fresh fruit drinks, or the like. However, to date, there have been no refrigerator units which are capable of dispensing purified water on a highly effective and relatively low-cost basis and which is essentially fully automated in its operation.